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Film: Otelo Burning

Country: South Africa

Year of Release: 2011

Director: Sarah Blecher

Screenwriters: James Whyle, Sarah Blecher

Starring: Thomas Gumede, Jafta Mamabolo, Tshepang Mohlomi, Nolwazi Shange and Sihle Xaba

♥♥♥½

I watched Otelo Burning at its premiere at the Durban International Film Festival last year. Eight months later, with the movie opening on the local circuit, it is still burned clearly into my memory. The film tells the story of Durban’s first black lifesavers, many of whom learned to swim in a public swimming pool in Lamontville, just north of Durban. Set in the final days of apartheid, Otelo Burning centres on the rebellious but talented Otelo Buthelezi (Jafta Mamabolo) and his attempt to surf to freedom, but also functions as a national metaphor as we follow the cast through the darks days of apartheid and towards the relative freedom of liberated South Africa.

The film is ultimately a heart-warming tale of adversity overcome. But don’t let that cliché fool you into thinking that Otelo Burning is predictable or easy viewing I found its scenes of apartheid-era violence very difficult to watch, and was disturbed for days afterwards. Perhaps I was feeling particularly sensitive at the time, because I’ve asked other viewers and most were not as severely affected by the film. Nonetheless, in this age of desensitising televised violence, films that manage to leave a genuine impact on us are increasingly rare. While Otelo Burning’s plot structure clearly marks it as a work of dramatic fiction – it does feel remarkably, terribly real.

The film doesn’t dwell on its violence, but neither does it hold back; at the same time it is also filled with passion and a deep love for its characters and the landscape they inhabit. It’s not a perfect film but it’s a remarkably brave film filled with honesty and compassion. Director Sarah Blecher, along with her cast and crew, thoroughly deserve every accolade they receive.